Ratchet-wrench.



W. HANNING & M. NICHOLAS.

RATCHET WRENCH.-

APPLICATION FILED DEG.17, 1909. BENEWED MAY 15, 1913.

Patnted Oct. 28, 1913.

. MM @y M,

einen raras BATCHET-WRENOH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatented Got. 28, 1913.

Application led December 17, 1909, Serial No. 533,721. Renewed May 15, 1913. Serial No. 767,904.

To all whom i may concern: Y Y

Be it known that we, WILLIAM HANNING and MATTHEW NICHOLAS, citizens of the United States, residing at Gorham, in the county of Boulder and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ratchet-lVrenches; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to w'hich it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in ratchet wrenches, our object being to provide a device of this class which shall be simple in construction, economical in cost, reliable, durable and e-ilicient in use, and to this end the invention consists of a ratchet head connected with the handle in such a manner that by a` simple adjustment the head may be turned in either direction, the handle, after each forward or operating stroke, being capable of a parallel reverse stroke in the regular way that ratchet wrenches are employed. Our improved construction, however, possesses certain novel features not heretofore employed, so far as we are aware.

One of these features consists of removable clamping jaws which have a considerable range of adjustment within the head, whereby they are adapted to t nuts of varying size. These jaws may be caused to protrude from either side of the head and when at their limit of outward movement in either direction, they are open tothe maximum degree to receive a nut. Then as the jaws are pressed against the nut, they are ad- Y j usted until they clamp the nut tightly, after which the operation of turning the nut is proceeded with. The construction of the head is such that when the jaws protrude therefrom, in one direction, their opening movement is considerably greater than when they are caused to protrude in the opposite direction, whereby their maximum opening movement is considerably greater on one side of the head than the other. This is due to the fact that the jaws are curved on their outer surfaces while the head is curved to correspond with the curve of the jaws.

Having briefly outlined our improved construction we will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing: Figure 1 is an elevation of a ratchet wrench equipped with our improvements, the handle beingpartly broken away. Fig. 2 is a section cutting the wrench at right angles to the axis of its head, being a section on the line 2 9., Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a side view or a view looking in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 1. Fig. i is a section taken on the line L,1 -it, Fig. 3, viewed in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail View of one of the reversing pawls. Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the jaws with which our improved wrench is equipped. Fig. 7 is a view showing the head of the tool with a thread-cutting device located in the socket, the jaws of the wrench being removed for this purpose. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the forwardly projected pawl in its normal position when the head is not under stress.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate the handle of the wrench to which is secured a band 6 by means of screws or other suitable fastening devices 7. The handle is enlarged where the band is applied. This band is continuous with a circular member 8 which surrounds the head 9 of the wrench. This head is circumferentially grooved to receive the member 8 which connects the head with the handle. Y

Located in grooves 10 formed in the opposite sides of the handle and normally concealed by the band V6, are two pawls 12, each of which projects beyond the band 6 and enters an adjustable sleeve 13. This sleeve is provided with spiral slots 14: which are engaged by projections 15 formed upon the respective pawls, whereby as the sleeve is turned, in one direction, one of the pawls when in engagement is illustrated in Fig.

S. When, however, the handle is turned in the direction indicated by the arrow in the last named ligure in order to rotate the head and turn the nut to which the head may be applied, the pressure of a tooth 17 of the head upon the head of the pawl will throw the latter to the position shown in Fig. 2, in which the offset 12B of the pawl head will engage a shoulder 10A formed on the handle, thus supporting the pawl and relieving thel same from undue strain during' the operation of the wrench. lVhen, however, the wrench is not in use, the operating pawl 12 may be shifted or moved out of engagement with the ratchet head while the opposite pawl is moved into engagement therewith.,

when it is desired to turn the head in the reverse direction. l

rhe head of the wrench is provided with a socket having dovetail grooves 18 on opposite sides thereof adapted to receive clamping jaws 19 with which the head is equipped when used in turning nuts. These jaws are retained in place by the dovetail grooves bult' are movable longitudinally7 therein. The outer surface of each groeve is curved, the are of the curve being formed by taking the point Y., which lies to one side of the center of the head, as a center and the distance in dicated by the line 20 as a radius.

In order to prevent the jaws from falling out of their respective grooves in the head of the wrench, each jaw is provided at its opposite extremities with a stop-pin 23, adapted to engage a recess 24- formed in the head, whereby the stop-pins are countersunk within the recesses of the head, thus making the latter perfectly smooth on one side when the jaws are moved to their limit of movement in the opposite direction.

When the wrench is in use for nut-turning purposes, the jaws are caused to protrude on one side or the other. In this event the nut rests on the shoulders 26 of the jaws while the parts 27 of the aws projecting forward from the said shoulders engage the nut on opposite sides. lf the nut is smaller than the space between the jaws when originally applied, downward or forward pressure of the aws against the nut, will move the jaws inwardly and cause them to clamp the nut tightly. Ars soon as this occurs the jaws will cease to move and the turning operation may commence. It is assumed that when the jaws are first applied to the nut, the latter will engage the shoulders or ledges 26, even though the jaws are open to such a width that the walls 27 will not engage or clamp the sides of the nut. Under such circumstances pressure upon the nut in the proper direction will cause the jaws to move and simultaneously clamp the nut in operative relation.

As shown in the drawing the spirally slot ted sleeve 13 is composed of two members having cooperating flanges 13A which are connected by fastening screws 13B. These connected iianges form a sort of handheld to f facilitate the turning of the sleeve for the purpose of manipulating the looking pawls. Each jaw 19 is curved on its outer surface as shown at 19A, to conform to the curve of the socket in the head of the wrench.

' The device may be used for other' purposes `than as a wrench and when so used, the

jaws 19 will be removed and another device inserted. For instance, in Fig. a screwthread-cutting block 28 is shown, the saine being inserte-d in the socket of the head.` This figure simply indicates another possible use of the device after the nut-clamping jaws have been removed from the head, thus making it practicable to utilize the handle and head for other purposes.

Having thns described our invention, what we claim is:

A. ratchet wrench having a hollow head and a toothed periphery, a handle carrying pawls adapted to engage the periphery of the head, a sleeve having spiral grooves and the pawls having' ings adapted to enter said grooves whereby the pawls by the adjust ment of the sleeve may be alternately thrown I into operative and inoperative relation with the head, each pawl having an oifset at its outer extremity and the handle having a shoulder adapted to engage said oiiset, to relieve the pawl from strain, substantially as described. i

ln testimony whereof we our signad tures in presence of two witnesses.

NlLLlAll/i HANNlNG. MATTHEWV NCHOLAS.

Witnesses NINA. ANDREW, MARTHA ANDREW.v

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washingtoa. G. i 

